“After that, if Sheik Shalaan dares to claim he had successfully taken Her Royal Highness prisoner, everyone will laugh and no one will believe him.”
“You are so right!” the Sheik exclaimed. “The plan is brilliant and only your Lordship could think of anything so splendid.”
“Then hurry and let us start as quickly as possible,” the Earl urged, “just in case the Hassein tribesmen decide to sneak up on us as we have not attacked them.”
Sheik Abu saw the sense of the Earl’s plan of action and started giving orders to the servants who were standing behind him.
Vanda ran to her room where she found Carstairs and he had packed all her trunks.
“You’re back!” he exclaimed as she appeared. “I knows as his Lordship would’ve done it if no one else could.”
“He was wonderful,” Vanda sighed. “I thought it would be impossible for me to be freed without a battle and a great many people being killed.”
“I thinks the same,” Carstairs replied. “I’ve left your blue riding habit out for you as I expects your pink ’un was left behind.”
Vanda suddenly realised that her burnous was open at the front and Carstairs could see her petticoat.
“That is true,” she said, “but I will soon dress in what you have left for me.”
“I’ll wake one of them women.”
He was gone before Vanda could say that she could manage on her own.
The two women who had obviously been asleep came hurrying in rubbing their eyes and they were delighted to see Vanda. They started to say how worried they had been when they heard the news that she had been kidnapped.
However she told them she must hurry and not talk. They waited while she washed as well as she could before helping her into her riding clothes.
She was really very quick.
When she hurried back to find the men, they were waiting outside the front door with the new horse she was to ride.
Sheik Abu was already mounted on a magnificent black stallion.
He was talking to Charles and it was therefore the Earl who picked Vanda up and set her on the saddle.
As he touched her she felt the same thrill running through her.
As he stayed for a moment arranging the skirt of her habit she told him softly,
“Thank you, thank you. You know how grateful I am.”
“We will talk about it all later. We are, as you know, still in danger until I can move the Sheik and his men well away from here.”
“You – are so – wonderful,” Vanda whispered.
As he was mounting his horse she was not certain if he had heard her.
Sheik Abu set off riding in front to lead the way with Vanda just behind him and the Earl and Charles on either side of her.
Behind came the Sheik’s personal bodyguard followed by a huge contingent of the warriors of his tribe. Vanda understood with a little shudder that they were the men who had been prepared to go into battle over her.
Quite a number of the small tribes had remained overnight and had no intention of missing the fun, so they followed the cavalcade in front of them.
It was only about four o’clock in the morning and the moon was still at its height and there was no need to travel very fast.
Vanda remembered it had taken them what had seemed a long time to ride from Beirut to the Sheik’s house, but she reckoned that they should arrive in Beirut somewhere about eight o’clock. Then, as the Earl had said, the streets would be full with people doing their shopping.
She glanced at him riding beside her and was thinking how marvellously dashing he had been to rescue her from the clutches of Sheik Abu’s sworn enemy.
If he had been caught he too would have been a prisoner and perhaps he would not have been treated as well as she had been.
She wanted him to tell her what he had felt when she was reported missing, but it was however difficult to talk when they were just behind the Sheik.
The dawn came swiftly and the sun rose steadily in the sky.
Just as the Earl had anticipated the City of Beirut had come alive and the streets were filled with people hurrying to and fro. The children were either going to school or playing games with each other.
Then as the Sheik appeared looking magnificent in his robes and wearing his most impressive turban, everyone stopped to stare. Behind them the tribesmen were waving their lances and flags with great enthusiasm.
The children were very excited by the procession and ran behind the horses as they moved slowly through the twisting streets towards the centre of the City.
They rode, as Vanda expected, to the same hotel where they had been taken on the day they arrived.
Just before they had left the Sheik’s house, Vanda heard that a messenger had been sent ahead and he had obviously alerted the hotel as the manager and staff were waiting for them on the doorstep.
They bowed subserviently to the Sheik and to Vanda and they were shown into the large dining room where servants were hurrying backwards and forwards with plates of sweetmeats and drinks.
“I expect you would like to titivate yourself,” Charles suggested teasing her.
Vanda gave a little giggle before she followed a woman who took her to one of the bedrooms.
When she looked at herself in the mirror she felt she was in considerable need of ‘titivating’ as the ride, although they had not been hurrying, had left her dusty and dishevelled. Her face, she thought, needed washing and so did her hands.
She did not feel tired at all, only elated with excitement. She was not only safe but she was going home with the Earl!
‘When we are on the yacht I shall at last be able to talk to him, ’ she told herself.
She was really hoping that he would kiss her again and it would be the most wonderful dream that could ever come true.
‘I love him. I love him with all my heart and soul,’ she repeated to herself over and over again.
She looked in the mirror again and wondered if she was pretty enough for him.
There must be so many women in his life.
Perhaps after all he had only kissed her because he did not want her to cry out at the sight of him.
‘I love him. I love him,’ she whispered once more.
Then she returned to where the Sheik was receiving his guests. The big room was already nearly full.
Vanda was introduced to a number of men and next the Earl suggested that they should all sit down. This was the signal for the servants to bring in the food, which was a combination of breakfast, luncheon, and the Bedouins’ favourite dishes.
The Earl prompted Sheik Abu into making a speech.
As he spoke in Arabic it was difficult to follow everything he was saying, but Vanda was conscious that he was being very complimentary to her.
She therefore smiled and tried to look a little embarrassed as if his compliments were overwhelming.
More and more tribesmen kept arriving until the room was packed to bursting.
Finally the Earl announced that it was time for them to go aboard the yacht.
Vanda had calculated that by now their luggage would have arrived and been taken to the Sea Serpent and she agreed that it would be a mistake to outstay their welcome.
There was a carriage waiting outside the hotel to convey them and Sheik Abu to the port with most of the party following on horseback, in carriages or on foot.
Once again it was a magnificent procession through the streets of the City. Whether or not the populace realised who was passing them in such state, the women waved and the children cheered.
As the Earl had suggested a band appeared from nowhere and was playing on the quay as they arrived.
The Earl’s yacht had been dressed with flags and bunting and when the carriage ground to a standstill, the Captain greeted them.
They were piped aboard.
The Earl had decreed that only the Sheik should actually come on board the Sea Serpent, whilst the tribesmen gathered on the quay.
“On the contrary, my Lord,” Sheik Abu replied. “I must thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your help and assistance.”
They knew what he meant and there was a little pause before he added, “The horses, I promise you, will be despatched tomorrow or at the latest by the end of the week!”
It was with difficulty that Vanda did not give a shout of joy.
They had won!
They had gained the horses they had come for.
She was sure from the way the Sheik spoke that they were not going to have to pay for them and the Earl realised this too.
“Your Highness is extremely generous,” he said, “and I can only hope that when you come to England, we can repay your superb hospitality as you have entertained and welcomed us.”
“I shall certainly consider making the journey,” the Sheik replied.
He shook hands with everyone including the Captain and then he walked slowly down the gangway with the band still playing.
As the gangway was pulled in, the engines began to turn.
A great number of women who had been standing on the quay now rushed forward with flowers and threw them onto the deck of the Sea Serpent.
Vanda picked up some of the first flowers which reached her and held them in her arms as if they were a bouquet.
Then as she waved, the crowd waved back and shouted out,
“Allah protect you. Bon Voyage. Good Luck.”
The air seemed to ring with the words.
Gradually they moved out into the sea and the Sheik stood to attention on the quay until they were nearly out of sight.
It was then that Vanda gave a deep sigh.
“We have done it!” she cried. “And the horses will follow. How could we have been so lucky?”
“All that matters is that you are safe,” the Earl murmured in a deep voice.
“That was thanks to you,” Charles said. “All I can say, Favin, is that you should be awarded a medal for gallantry.”
Vanda gave a little cry,
“That reminds me, your beautiful brooch was pinned on my riding jacket which I left behind. I am sorry, so very sorry, you should lose it.”
“Perhaps it will be some compensation for the Sheik we outwitted,” the Earl mused. “That we have turned the tables on him will, I promise you, upset him far more than losing you.”
Vanda did not say anything.
She was hoping that Sheik Shalaan would one day find someone he could love, just as she loved the Earl.
Because she wanted to take off her hat and change out of her riding clothes, she descended to her cabin.
The Earl went to his writing-desk where he sat down and drew a letter out of his pocket which had been waiting for him.
It was from Mr. Wilson.
He was sure before he opened it that it contained bad news and he could only hope that Irene had not been making more scenes.
He opened the letter and stiffened as he read,
‘My Lord, I regret that it is my duty to inform you that His Grace died yesterday.
It was in his sleep and he did not suffer.
After I had placed the announcement in the newspaper, I corresponded immediately with Lord Arthur and explained to him where you were.
He said that you were not to worry as he would see to everything and after your father’s long illness, the family would prefer his funeral to be as quiet as possible.’
The letter continued to mention a number of relatives who had called at Brackenshaw House to see if the Earl was in residence.
And then he finished,
‘I must also inform Your Lordship that, having heard the news, Lady Grantham came to see me and made a terrible scene about not being able to get in touch with you.
She had expected an answer to her last letter to you and behaved in such an extraordinary manner that I cannot help feeling that she is somewhat deranged.
I am obliged because of her insistence to forward on to you another letter from her.
I only wish I could send your Lordship better news. However everything else, including matters in the country, is exactly as you would wish.
I remain,
Yours respectfully,
Basil Wilson.’
The Earl read it through again carefully and then without reading Irene’s letter, he tore it up.
He threw the pieces out of the porthole.
He knew only too well that now he had come into his father’s title, she would be more determined than ever to marry him.
‘What am I to do?’ he asked himself. What the devil am I to do?’
He realised now that he loved Vanda in a different way from anything he had ever felt for any other woman.
He had been amused, enthralled and excited by women like Irene, but they never touched his heart.
He had never contemplated spending any more than a short time with them and he knew now that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Vanda.
To teach her about love would be the most exciting and wonderful thing he would ever been able to do.
But there was so much more to his love for Vanda.
He felt already as if she was a part of him.
He knew she would do everything he wanted as his wife and as a Duchess.
But – the word seemed to stand out in front of him in letters of fire – Irene would scream and berate him for leaving her. She had already threatened to kill any woman who aroused his interest.
He had an uncomfortable feeling that Irene would be more dangerous than even Sheik Shalaan could have been, as apart from harming Vanda physically, everything she might say or do would besmirch her innocence and purity.
The Earl could not bear to think of it.
‘What can I do?’ he howled at himself again.
He looked out of the open porthole at the sky and thought only God could help him now.
*
Vanda was worried for the rest of the day, while the yacht was moving swiftly through calm waters. She could not understand why it seemed impossible for her to be alone with the Earl.
When she waited for him on deck or in the Saloon, he did not appear if she was alone.
He always seemed to wait until Charles was there first and she was forced into acknowledging that he was trying to avoid her.
‘Why? Why?’ she asked herself. ‘What – have I – done?’
Every time she saw him she felt her love rising within her like a flood tide and it moved up through her breasts into her lips.
She longed for his kisses.
She craved the ecstasy she had felt when she awoke to find her dream a reality.
‘I – love – him, ’ she murmured as she walked round the deck alone.
She guessed that he was on the bridge with the Captain, so there was no point in joining him there.
At mealtimes he was always laughing and talked mostly with Charles and inevitably they talked about the horses and what they would do with them when they arrived home.
“How could we be so lucky?” Charles asked a dozen times. “We never expected to acquire so many and not to have to pay for them.”
“We must thank Vanda for that,” the Earl added, “or perhaps to be honest we should also thank Sheik Shalaan!”
“I only wish we could have seen his face,” Charles said, “when he walked into her tent and found that she had gone.”
“You are not to be too unkind about him,” Vanda intervened. “I thought it was sad that he had never really loved anyone in his life and that is just what I believe he really wants.”
“Did you talk to him about love?” Charles enquired.
“Yes, I did and I told him that one day he would find the other half of himself and then he would be happy.”
“Did he think it would be you?” the Earl wanted to know.
Vanda thought she detected a note in his voice which showed he cared.
“He did sugge
st it,” she replied, “but I told him he would be happier with a Bedouin woman, just as I wanted to marry an Englishman.”
Once Vanda had finished speaking, she suddenly felt embarrassed in case the Earl might think she was trying to force his hand to make her a proposal.
“Let us talk some more about the horses,” she said quickly. “How many are Charles and I to have and how many are you keeping?”
The Earl hesitated,
“May I give you the answer to that question tomorrow?”
“Why are you being so mysterious?” Charles asked.
“I have a great deal to think about and quite frankly I am finding it difficult after the agitation of our last day in Syria.”
Charles laughed.
“I don’t blame you, I feel the same. I would like to point out that as we did not sleep a wink last night, I am definitely going to bed now.”
“That is exactly what I will do too,” Vanda said.
She walked to her own cabin and Carstairs came in to see if there was anything that she required.
He arranged her bath and then she climbed into bed and as she lay her head onto the pillow she realised how very tired she was.
At the same time she was still worrying over the Earl.
“I love – you. I love – you,” she whispered. “Please, God, let him – love me a – little bit.”
*
The Earl awoke and realised it was already eight o’clock in the morning and that he had been more exhausted than he thought.
He had slept all night, missing dinner, until it was breakfast time.
He was to learn later that Vanda and Charles had done the same.
The sun was streaming in through the portholes and although it seemed to make everything seem bright and happy, the darkness of Irene was still torturing his mind.
Once again the same question seemed to dance in front of his eyes.
‘What shall I do? What shall I do?’
The door of the cabin opened stealthily and Carstairs peeped in.
“I thinks you’d be awake by now, my Lord and we are now moored alongside at Piraeus.”
“I know I have slept the clock round,” the Earl replied. “I will get up now and go ashore.”
“I’ve already been ashore, my Lord, and I thinks you’d like to see this.”
He said it in such a meaningful way that the Earl gave Carstairs a sharp glance as he handed him a copy of The Times of two days ago.
A Kiss In the Desert Page 12